Abbott
Master Don Juan
My father often says that I need to get some "salable" skill for a job. What he means is something like CNA training (so I can help old people with Alzheimer's take a dump) or a CDL (so I can drive in a big truck and be unable to do the things I want, unless it's a rare 8-5 job).
Our conversation went something like this:
Me: What about college? Isn't that useful?*
Him: You need a Plan B.
Me: What? You think that I might not be able to get a job after finishing?
Him: Yes, I think that's very possible.
Me: Well, I've seriously considered a second major. That was going to be my Plan B. You still think that's possible?
Him: Yes I do.
We concluded the conversation on a bad note, though I didn't commit to anything new. I still plan to follow through my original plan of finishing college. However, he still seems to think I should have a Plan C.
Here's some background. Very recently, I completed an Associate's degree from a local community college. Due to poor planning, I'm not going to be attending school this Spring. This is mostly my fault, and I know I messed up so there's no point in telling me how I messed up. But because of this, I cannot start attending before Summer at the earliest.
I plan to go to a four year school and get a bachelor's in Computer Science (so I could perhaps ultimately become a software engineer), and a bachelor's in Accounting (my Plan B). I picked those since both seem reasonably easy for me, and the fact that I've heard that they're pretty good majors. My grades, though initially not so great (like right after high school), are much better now. The last couple of semesters I managed to get all A's.
My father, in his day, managed to get a Master's Degree in Library Science and a Bachelor's in Theater. He wanted to work as a Librarian, and he did the Bachelor's in Theater because he figured that doing so would keep him from going crazy (I guess he was down and out at the time). Unfortunately, the job market for Librarians was not good shortly after he graduated (late 70s). In 1980 he took a job at the USPS, which he still has to this day, and he doesn't like it. The job has nothing to do with his college education, and he took it because it was the best he could do at the time. At that point he was married to my mother for a year and I guess he figured that he needed to get the money flowing. Perhaps he's afraid that what happened to him will happen to me. I suppose he's also afraid that if I fail to get a job after college he'll still have to support me.
I'm not as afraid since I figure that the majors I chose are more practical. I also figure that I should be able to get a job with at least one of those. Maybe even an Internship during the very last semester if I'm lucky.
I also figure that even if it doesn't work out, I'll just keep going and get my Master's in Computer Science, something I plan to do anyway.
I figure that my majors are more practical than the majors he chose, so risk is less likely. There isn't a 100% chance of success, but I don't suppose anything does. Nevertheless, I'm still wondering:
Are his concerns warranted?
Ben
*-I do sincerely believe that college is useful, though not for the same reasons the school may want you to believe. While my opinions may be more cynical than what schools tell you, I still think college is a good idea.
Our conversation went something like this:
Me: What about college? Isn't that useful?*
Him: You need a Plan B.
Me: What? You think that I might not be able to get a job after finishing?
Him: Yes, I think that's very possible.
Me: Well, I've seriously considered a second major. That was going to be my Plan B. You still think that's possible?
Him: Yes I do.
We concluded the conversation on a bad note, though I didn't commit to anything new. I still plan to follow through my original plan of finishing college. However, he still seems to think I should have a Plan C.
Here's some background. Very recently, I completed an Associate's degree from a local community college. Due to poor planning, I'm not going to be attending school this Spring. This is mostly my fault, and I know I messed up so there's no point in telling me how I messed up. But because of this, I cannot start attending before Summer at the earliest.
I plan to go to a four year school and get a bachelor's in Computer Science (so I could perhaps ultimately become a software engineer), and a bachelor's in Accounting (my Plan B). I picked those since both seem reasonably easy for me, and the fact that I've heard that they're pretty good majors. My grades, though initially not so great (like right after high school), are much better now. The last couple of semesters I managed to get all A's.
My father, in his day, managed to get a Master's Degree in Library Science and a Bachelor's in Theater. He wanted to work as a Librarian, and he did the Bachelor's in Theater because he figured that doing so would keep him from going crazy (I guess he was down and out at the time). Unfortunately, the job market for Librarians was not good shortly after he graduated (late 70s). In 1980 he took a job at the USPS, which he still has to this day, and he doesn't like it. The job has nothing to do with his college education, and he took it because it was the best he could do at the time. At that point he was married to my mother for a year and I guess he figured that he needed to get the money flowing. Perhaps he's afraid that what happened to him will happen to me. I suppose he's also afraid that if I fail to get a job after college he'll still have to support me.
I'm not as afraid since I figure that the majors I chose are more practical. I also figure that I should be able to get a job with at least one of those. Maybe even an Internship during the very last semester if I'm lucky.
I also figure that even if it doesn't work out, I'll just keep going and get my Master's in Computer Science, something I plan to do anyway.
I figure that my majors are more practical than the majors he chose, so risk is less likely. There isn't a 100% chance of success, but I don't suppose anything does. Nevertheless, I'm still wondering:
Are his concerns warranted?
Ben
*-I do sincerely believe that college is useful, though not for the same reasons the school may want you to believe. While my opinions may be more cynical than what schools tell you, I still think college is a good idea.
